1228 president's address. 



quartz reefs ; upon this are layers of conglomerates and sandstones, 

 probably freshwater deposits, containing fossil plants believed to 

 be of the lower Miocene age. The surface of this formation had 

 been worn into hollows, thus marking the lapse of some time 

 before it was covered by the next deposit which consists of lime- 

 stone abounding in marine shells of Miocene age ; this is overlaid 

 by a thick mass of basalt. Then comes a layer of marble limestone 

 full of Miocene shells ; and above this is another flow of basalt, 

 upon which is a bed of Upper Miocene limestone, composed almost 

 entirely of bryzoa and corals ; this is covered by a thin Pliocene 

 quartz pebble drift, and lastly, forming the summit of the hill we 

 have climbed, is basaltic lava which extends as a wide sheet over 

 the surrounding country, and forms vast stony plains as far as the 

 conical volcanic hill whence it' issued. Now it is evident that the 

 rain water draining from the higher Dividing Range, gradually cut 

 through this sheet of basalt, and^formed a channel, which during 

 the Pleistocene period, developed into the grand Moorabool Valley, 

 which is here about 300 feet deep. Upon the sides of the valley 

 there are terraces of drift" which indicate intervals of time when 

 the eroding water flowed with diminished force. 



We will take another instance in this colony. In the Cudjegong 

 Valley near Grulgong we find in section, granite, slates, and carbon- 

 iferous rocks overlaid by quartz drifts and clays believed to be of 

 Miocene age ; then, basalt, and next in order of time the rich gold 

 bearing leads containing numerous^ fossil plants of Pliocene age ; 

 and above these basalt. All the four last named formations lie 

 within a valley which was eroded probably in Miocene times. But 

 what I desire to draw your'attention to is the fact, that not only 

 have the upper basalt and the other Tertiary formations been cut 

 through by the drainage water of the Pleistocene period, but that 

 the present valley has been. eroded to a greater depth than the old 

 one ; and, as in the case of the Moorabool Valley, we have here 

 also terrace banks of gravel. 



Similar evidence of enormous erosion having taken place during 

 the Pleistocene period, is afforded in almost every part of the 

 country, but it is unnecessary to adduce other instances than the 



